CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, POST-OFFICE DEPT.,

Richmond, Va., December 28, 1864.

Lieut. Gen. R. S. EWELL,

Headquarters, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: Referring to a circular from the Adjutant-Generals' Office of the 23d instant, which came to hand yesterday, I beg to say that the following-named men, clerks in the Richmond city post-office, are now in the trenches, Company B. Third Regiment Local Defense Troops, to wit: John R. Currie, A. R. Tarborough, D. S. Cabell, James R. Thom, Edwin Pleasants, James -, and W. L. Walker.

The following-named clerks in that office -to wit: William B. Reed, P. P. Frayser, R. L. Noel. R. W. Crittende, J. R. Wilkinson, M. M. French, W. H. Crawford, and L. E. Hough-have been allowed to remain in it or detailed and returned to it upon my urgent solicitation, as being clerks of special skill and experience and indispensably necessary to keep the city post-office in operation. Without them the mails for the Government, for Congress, for the Army, and the country cannot be made up and sent from Richmond or distributed and delivered to those to whom they are due in Richmond.

Under these circumstances I feel constrained to ask you to allow the clerks now detailed in the city post-office to be kept on duty in it.

Very respectfully, your obedients servant,

JOHN H. REAGAN,

Postmaster-General.

[Inclosure No. 3.]

CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, POST-OFFICE DEPT.,

Richmond, December 28, 1864.

Lieut. Gen. R. S. EWELL,

Headquarters, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: Referring to the communication of John W. Riely, assistant adjutant-general, of the 23d instant, which came to hand yesterday, requesting that one-half of the men detailed from the Local Defense Troops be returned to duty in the trenches, I beg to say that the following-named clerks of this Department are now in the trenches and have been since the 29th of September last, to wit, Colonel John McAnerney, Jr., Sergts. B. F. Perry, F. Wise, Privates Samuel Hanson, G. F. Eubank, Edwin Sheppard, and the following-named clerks of this Department have been assigned and are now performing guard duty in this city, to wit, Lieut. T. P. A. Bibb, commanding guard; Privates J. Newton Lewis, J. N. Clark, B. S. Howard, L. D. Hill, making eleven of the clerks of this Department who have for three months past been withdrawn from their appropriate duties, to the great injury of the service of the Department.

The following-named officers and clerks of this Department, to wit, Lieut. H. St. George Offutt, chief of Contract Bureau, Post-Office Department; Private J. L. Lancaster, principal clerk of Finance Bureau, Post-Office Department; Serg. S. T. McNair, Privates A. G. Cantley, J. S. Douglas, J. T. Taylor, R. A. Fennell, were absent from their important duties here serving in the trenches in Company B, Third Regimental Local Defense Troops, for the greater part of the last three months, until the Department became so embarrassed for the want of their services that on my earnest solicitation made from time to time they have been detailed to return to their duties here.